Three Biographical Anecdotes
1. The Excommunication
At the age of 24, Dutch philosopher Baruch Spinoza (1632-1677) was excommunicated from the Jewish community of the Netherlands and was accused of being a “menace to all piety and morals.”
He was kicked out because of his unorthodox views, defending a naturalistic understanding of god and the history of religions.
2. Justice Over Inheritance
When his father Michael died in 1654, his sister tried to block his inheritance because she thought he wouldn’t be entitled to it due to his ex-communication.
Spinoza took his sister to court, won the case, and then gave her all the money.
He only sought justice, he explained.
3. Intellectual Freedom Above All
In 1673, Spinoza was offered a teaching post at the University of Heidelberg.
He turned it down because he did not want his intellectual freedom and wide-ranging interests to be limited. He instead made a living by grinding lenses.
#Keepgrinding.